THE wombats, assembly now, THE evenings

Fresh faced Assembly Now are not as musically varied, opting to stick safely to the realms of modern racket pop. Tracks like ‘Leigh-on-Sea’ and ‘It’s Magnetic’ are typical Brit-takes on the fallout of the debut Strokes record, but the delivery and tightness is there. Frontman Gavin Dwight’s vocal-range reminds me of a younger Robert Smith, and he bosses the stage with all the swagger of the cat that got the cream. In the current climate they will probably enjoy a bright future, but for me they’re a tad bog-standard. The Wombats surprisingly break the boring mould of your typical scouse blues/Beatles- obsessed merry makers. After a brief intro of impromptu barbershop blues, new single ‘Kill the Director’ starts and sets the tone of fast, harmonised, Buzzcocks-esque party punk. The young crowd revel in tales of schoolboy angst and Christmas cheer, twisting and chanting throughout. The band’s energy and drive is amazing, especially considering it’s the first date of their tour. Heck, even I begrudgingly smile when I realise for once I am not the sweatiest guy in the venue! ‘Little Miss Pipedream’ is by far my favourite track, a toned down keys based frolic similar to the Beach Boys ‘Good Vibrations’, or most of the Small Faces’ silly moments. ‘Let’s Dance to Joy Division’ is Ian Curtis’ worst nightmare, but sums up the set’s vibe with at least 20 school girls singing along to the ‘WE’RE SOOO HAPPY’ chorus. They don’t take themselves seriously at all (take note Mr Borrell) and by chasing each other continuously on stage, allay any reservations I had about checking them out.